Insulated remote control apparatus for articulated aerial device



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IUnited States Patent() 3 489,243 INSULATED REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR ARTICULATED AERIAL DEVICE William A. Prescott, Grandview, Mo., and Raymond J.

Wacht and Jack E. Stilwell, Overland Park, Kans., assignors, by mesne assignments, to A. B. Chance Company, Centralia, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Nov. 29, 1967, Ser. No. 686,409 Int. Cl. E04g 3/ 00 U.S. Cl. 182--46 7 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An aerial lift that is rendered electrically safe by improvements in the actuating mechanism between the controls and the operators bucket. Dielectric materials are employed in the hollow boom which carries the bucket in a manner to insulate the workman lfrom the controls so that electrical shock, injury or death cannot result from manipulation of such mechanism from the bucket while working on or near electrical installations. The entire mechanism is also characterized by adequate strength and lightness of weight.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a manually manipulable system for remote operation of aerial lift controls that is in all respects electrically safe to an elevated workman in the aerial bucket who may either accidentally or purposely come into contact with potentially dangerous electrical lines and systems.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an articulated aerial device embodying the insulated remote control apparatus made pursuant to our present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal cross-A sectional view of the lower end of the upper boom;

FIG. 3 is a View similar to FIG. 2 showing the upper end of the upper boom;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view still further enlarged taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of said upper end, parts being broken away for clearness;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to a portion of FIG. 2 but still further enlarged; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 99 of FIG. 8.

The aerial lift shown in FIG. l includes a truck 10 having a turret 12 rotatable about an upright aXis (operated by a hydraulic motor, not shown), a tubular lower boom 14 swingable on turret 12, a tubular upper boom 16 swingable on boom 14, an operators bucket 18 swingable on boom 16, a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 20 between turret 12 and boom 14 for raising and lowering boom 14, and a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly 22 between booms 14 and 16 for raising and lowering boom 16. Section 14a of boom 14, section 16a of boom 16 and bucket 18 are all made from non-conducting material.

A control 24, having suitable means 26 for mounting the same within section 16b of boom 16, and adapted for operable connection through boom 14 with assembly 20, assembly 22 and the motor for turret 12 respectively, is provided with reciprocable valve spools 28, 30 and 32 for controlling the flow of hydraulic uid to and from such assemblies and motor.

3,489,243 Patented Jan. 13, 1970 ice Each spool has an actuator 34 extending longitudinally of boom 16 therewithin comprising a pair of elongated, longitudinally reciprocable, rod-like members 36 and 38 of non-conducting material, and each actuator 34 has a coupling 40 with its corresponding spool. Couplings 40 each include a bell crank 42 (swingable on a cross shaft 44 carried by section 16h), links 46 pivotally connected with crank 42 and with spools 28, 30 and 32, as the case may be, adjustable links 48 pivotally connected with crank 42 and clamps 50 attaching the members 36 and 38 to corresponding links 48.

A transversely U-shaped carrier 52 of non-conducting material for the actuators 34, extending longitudinally of boom 16 therewithin, has structure attaching it to boom 16, which includes means to rigidly secure it to section 16b such as by brackets 54 and 56 and loosely attach it toA section 16a as through use of a cross shaft 58 which supports bucket 18 and is rotatable in bearings 60 carried by section 16a. A metal plate 59 bonded to carrier 52 has an elongated opening 61 which receives shaft 58 and has its major axes fore and aft of boom 16. This arrange ment allows the carrier 52 to dellect in a natural manner and the boom 16 to deflect independently of carrier 52 so that neither restrains the natural dellection of the other. A sheave 62 on shaft 58 is part of a leveling system for bucket 18 and is not material to the present invention.

Support means for the actuators 34 to limit the amount of bow therein comprise a number of plate-like elements 64 of non-conducting material rigid to carrier 52 there- Within and transversely thereof having clearance means for the members 36 and 38 in the nature of holes 66 within which members 36 and 38 reciprocate. Additional clearance openings 68 and 70 in plates 64 are adapted to support other accessory rods, hoses and the like as may be desired or needed.

A manually manipulable loop device or handle 72 is provided for each actuator 34 respectively adjacent bucket 18 for easy access to and manipulation by the operator therewithin. Mechanism 74, mounted on carrier 52 and connecting handles 72 with corresponding members 36 and 38 for reciprocating the latter when handles 72 are manipulated, includes bell cranks 76 on handles 72 pivotally connected with members 36 and 38 and swingable on pin 78.

Pin 78 extends through a ngered bar 80 which is secured to a bracket 82 in turn attached to carrier 52. The natural deilection of carrier 52 will be duplicated by the tension rods 36 and 38 without imposing detrimental rod movement. Swinging of handles 72 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 7 imparts a push-pull action to rod members 36 and 38 to actuate spools 28, 30 and 32. All of the non-conducting insulating materials above mentioned are preferably plastic reinforced with glass fibers or other material having satisfactory dielectric properties for rendering the lift electrically safe.

The elimination of hydraulic, electric and pneumatic means between 4bucket 18 and control 24 as mechanism for remote actuation of the latter resolves the problem of electrical danger that is normally inherent in such other types of systems. Moreover, the means hereinabove described for controlling the operation of the valve spools is as direct as is possible with use of non-conducting materials resulting in no delay of transmission of movement of handles 72 to the control 24.

Noteworthy also is that the system takes into consideration the fact that tension loading of rods is required to overcome the inherent buckling of small section plastic members under compression, yet the members 36 and 38 do not add materially to overall weight.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an aerial lift,

an elongated boom;

a control at one end of the boom;

an elongated carrier of non-conducting material for said control;

said actuator extending longitudinally of the boom from the opposite end of the latter to said control;

a coupling between the actuator and the control permitting operation of the latter when. movement .is imparted to the actuator at said opposite end of the boom;

an elongated carrier of non-conducting material for said actuator;

said carrier extending longitudinally of the boom and having support means for the actuator;

said support means receiving the actuator for movement of the actuator relative to the carrier;

structure attaching the carrier to the boom; and

said structure including a rigid attachment of the carrier to the boom at one end of the carrier and a loose connection of the carrier to the boom at the opposite end of the carrier accommodating for deection of the boom under load. l

2. The invention of claim 1,

said actuator comprising a pair of elongated, longitudinally reciprocable members,

said coupling including means for operating the control as the members are reciprocated simultaneously.

3. The invention of claim 2,

said coupling including a bell crank swingably secured lto the boom and pivotally connected to said members and to said control.

4. The invention of c1aim.2,

a manually manipulable device at said opposite end of the boom; and

mechanism mounted on the carrier and connecting the device with said members for reciprocating the latter as the device is manipulated.

5. The invention of claim 1,

said support means including a plurality of spaced elements rigidly joined to the carrier transversely of the latter,

each element having actuator clearance means.

6. The invention of claim 5,

said carrier being transversely U-shaped,

said elements comprising plates within said carrier.

7. The invention of claim 6,

said actuator comprising a pair of elongated members longitudinally reciprocable in said clearance means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 182-2 

